Marie Kondo

The new word for tidiness is KonMari after the Japanese author, Marie Kondo, the title of this post.

This woman has changed my life – RESPECT – after a lifetime of being messy, thinking I was ‘too busy to be tidy’, I have realised the fun I am missing out on – being messy, because you are busy, is a bit like ‘not wearing makeup’ – What? You’re too busy to look great?? Sorry – get it right!!
I have just read her book, ‘The Life Changing Magic of Tidying’ and yes, it has changed my life. Click on my Amazon icon now, just to the right of this post and buy it.

Sounds boring? Sorry, the feeling of stacking my (wanted) clothes vertically in a basket, I can only liken to realising that a very, very lovely man has his hand on my thigh under a restaurant table (before I was married obviously!!)

My basket of skirts before Konmari

My basket of skirts after!!

Right –

1.chuck out everything in your house that you do not need or love, be prepared to fill 30 bin bags – take them to a charity shop – do not ponder for hours thinking “I am sure Fran’s son would like this book” Fran’s son is perfectly able to buy his own books from charity shops!!

2. Then, and only then, arrange the things you do want in sensible, beautiful, accessible places.

‘Vertical storage’ means that things that are inevitably at the bottom of a ‘horizontal pile’ – perfectly nice tops or skirts, for instance, do not remain there, forgotten about for months – you actually wear them – your wardrobe awakens – you have many more clothes that you remembered and you like them all!!

Your living room is now beautiful, not groaning with ornaments given to you by distant relatives. Apparently, according to Marie, the relative had their pleasure in the moment of ‘giving’ – you do not have to keep the stuff!

Your kitchen only has gadgets and equipment you actually need. You can prepare food easily.

You bathroom only has products that work for you.

Bingo – your life is better.

I have to say, reading Marie’s book while trying to #LiveLagom, my challenge to ‘live with less’ from Ikea is very, very timely.